Preservation and utilization of styrene



45 by weight of sulphur in the styrene. 2. The method. which comprises distilling a 45 atented in i8, 193

am ss 3.51 EBQATIQN SENE Joseph Britten, lph r. h'escott, and Robert C. Dosser, Midland, Mich, asslgnors to The No Drawing. Application August 28, 1936,-

' Serial No. 983% Z CIaims (Cl. 202-57) This invention concerns a new method for precurring, the sulphur serving'as an inhibitor to serving styrene in unpolymerized form and thereprevent polymerization of the styrene during the after utilizing the styrene in making polymerized distillation. The distillation ,for the recovery of products therefrom. the styrene in pure and uninhibited form may be It is well known that styrene tends to polymercarried out at atmospheric pressure but is prefer- 5 ize on standing with formation of an at least parably carried out under vacuum at temperatures tially polymerized body which is unsatisfactory below 100 -C.,so as to reduce the amount of for the preparation of a number of products that polymerization which may occur to a minimum. may be prepared from pure styrene. In order to The comparative experiments described in the 10 prevent such polymerization, it is usual practice following example illustrate the degree to which 10 to add to freshly prepared styrene any of a numstyrene is inhibited against polymerization by disber of organic agents, such as quinone, hydrosolving sulphur therewith. quinone, etc., which are known to inhibit .the Example polymerization. Such organic inhibiting agents add materially to the cost of the styrene product Three Samples of Styrene, n containing no 15 and frequently cannot be separated from the latinhibitor, the second containing 0.01 per cent by ter to recover the styrene in pure and readily Weight of dissolved sulphur, and the third conpolymerizable condition. For instance, styrene mining P C y weight of p a D0 which has been treated with quinone cannot sattion of which was not in solution, were each heatisfactorily be purified by distillation. .ed at 90 C. for 5 hours, after which the proportion 20 We have now discovered that finely divided S y e in each a p w ch had become sulphur may be dissolved in styrene to form a, polymerized was determined by analysis. It was solution which is substantially stable against found that 41 p t of t e y ne n the sampolymerization and that the styrene may therep wntaining no sulphur had be pc y l after he recovered in good yield and in a pure 21 D l C 0 the y e in the mp e 0011- and readily polymerizable form by distillation taining 0.01 per cent of sulphur was polymerized from the sulphur. The invention, then, consists andonly 1 p t of h st n n the a p in the method of preserving and u 'lizing styrene containing 0.1 per cent by weight of sulphur had hereinafter fully described and particularly een polymeri ed.

pointed ut i th laims. Other modes of applying the principle of the s A styrene solution which is relatively stable nve lOn' -W e e p y d n d Of t ose exagainst polymerization is prepared by dissolving plained. change being madev as regards the method sulphur in styrene. Solution of the sulphur in herein disclosed, provided the step or steps stated styrene may be brought about by agitating or by any of the following claimsor the equivalent of grinding a mixture of sulphur and styrene or by such stated step or steps be employed.

merely permitting such mixture to stand for some We therefore particularly point out and distime. Finely divided sulphur, e. g. flowers of sultinctly claim as our invention:

phur or colloidal sulphur, dissolve more readily h method which comprises dissolving 1- than do the coarser forms of sulphur, but sulfur in'unpolymerized styrene to form a solution J0 phur in any form may be employed. A mere consisting of styrene and a small amount of sul- 4o trace, e. g. 0.001 per cent by weight, of dissolved fur in at least 0.01 per cent by weight concentrasulphur is sumcient to inhibit the polymerization and thereafter distilling styrene from the sotion of-styrene to appreciable extent, but in praclution to recover the styrene as a distillate in tice we prefer to dissolve at least 0.01 per cent readily poly'merizable form.

The solution of sulphur in. styrene prepared as solution consisting of styrene to which sulfur just described may be stored at room temperature has been added in a small amount as a polymerover long periods of time, s. g. for weeks or ization inhibitor to recover the styrene as a dismonths, without becoming polymerized to 'any tillate in polymerizable form.-

50 considerable extent. When it is desired to emw ploy the styrene in making polymerized products, JOSEPH W. BRITTON. the styrene may be distilled fromthe solution RALPH F. PRESCOTT.

without appreciable polymerization thereof 00- ROBERT C. DOBSER. 

